During New Student Orientation, Penn Dental professor Solomon Katz (center), led a preceptorial about First Friday and his neighborhood, Old City District.
From American Sign Language to biomedical research and pottery, this fall’s 57 preceptorials — short courses led by Penn professors — have a lot in store.
While previously popular preceptorials such as digital photography and wine tasting remain on this year’s list, many new ones, such as “Erotic Photography in Europe” and “The Future of Biofuels and the Biofuel Dilemma” have been added to this semester’s offerings.
“We’re always scouting out new topics and new professors to work with,” Chairwoman of the Preceptorial Committee and College senior Julia Wong said.
“Erotic Photography in Europe” will be led by Fine Arts lecturer Tony Ward — a world-renowned erotic photographer — in conjunction with EuroPenn, the European student group.
In addition to studying Ward’s personal works in lectures, students will also interact with him on a social media-based learning platform, Coursekit.
For the first time, the preceptorial committee will collaborate with the Center for Neuroscience and Society, offering courses such as “Music and the Brain” and “Neuroenchancers’ Place and Future on College Campuses.”
Five other partnerships have been made with campus groups, including the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowship and Penn Red Cross.
This semester there are six preceptorials on the arts, Wong added. Since the committee wished to “explore the arts in novel ways,” they have organized visits to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and a simulcast of the Metropolitan Opera at a movie theater.
“We’re always striving not only to improve the quality of the preceptorials but also to respond to feedback and interest,” Wong said.
Like previous years, enrollment will be based on a lottery. However, a new system will allow students to see their position on a popular preceptorial’s waiting list.
New Student Orientation preceptorials coordinator and College junior Amalya Lehmann said NSO helped get the word about preceptorials out to the new students.
This year marked the first time the committee was in charge of organizing preceptorials during NSO, which were previously called proseminars.
The 73 preceptorials — open to freshmen and transfer students — included tours of Philadelphia, introductions to Penn traditions and sessions on different types of games, in conjunction with the Year of Games.
“A lot more students are signing up [this fall] because they know that [preceptorials] exist now,” Lehmann added.
Wharton sophomore Mahuhu Attenoukon registered for four preceptorials this semester.
“They are an easy and relatively hassle-free way to learn a little more about a subject without the semester long commitment. It’s just another way to accomplish a short-term nerdy pursuit of knowledge,” she wrote in an email.
However, preceptorials may not be for everyone. College freshman Sky Yoo does not plan on participating.
“I feel like a preceptorial is just another required thing to commit my time to,” he said. “If I were to learn how to dance or explore Philly, I would just do it myself in my free time with my friends.”
The number of offerings this fall increased from the 53 that were offered last spring and 32 last fall.
Although the preceptorials offered fluctuate due to changes in committee membership and professors’ schedules, the committee’s current goal is to continue expanding the breadth and depth of the offerings, Wong said.
Friday is the last day to register for preceptorials on Penn InTouch.
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